GUAYMAS. 475 
The milch cows are managed by the women, and 
a peep into the corral at milking time would highly 
amuse our Yankee dairy people. The calves, being in 
an adjoining corral, are let in among the cows one or 
two at a time. These of course run for their mothers. 
The women then tie together the hinder legs of the 
cow thus designated, and while one holds a gourd — 
shell, the other divides her time between drawing the 
milk and beating away the calf, which, not liking this 
appropriation of his breakfast, charges repeatedly upon 
the invaders and renders the process any thing but a 
quiet one. The cows are milked but once a day, and 
give not more than a quarter as much as our well-fed 
cows at each milking. Very little butter is made in 
. the country, the milk being mostly manufactured into 
a sour and most indigestible article of the consistence 
of gutta percha, which is dignified with the name 
of cheese. Generally nothing is cultivated at these 
ranchos, the corn and flour consumed about them being 
brought from a distance. 
January 4th. We did not get off any earlier than 
yesterday. Passed the rancho of Noche Buena with- 
out stopping. The next rancho, La Palmita, had been 
abandoned, its well having dried up. We had there- 
fore to continue our journey to that of Jesus Maria, 
making altogether about thirty-nine miles. Here we 
watered. Soon after we arrived, my servant came in 
with the unpleasant news that my pack mule had given 
out at Noche Buena, and that it would be necessary 
to procure and send back a fresh one to bring in my 
baggage. A Mexican was immediately sent back with 
another animal; but as the distance was six leagues, 
